Saturday Scores: Bruins back alone in 1st place

Minnesota Wilderness 3 @ Austin Bruins 4 (SO) – The Bruins erased a 2-0 deficit to score three straight goals and eventually win in a shootout over the visiting Minnesota Wilderness thanks to a 4-3 shootout win. The Wilderness led 2-0 with goals from Darian Romanko and Will Peterson. Austin responded with three straight goals from Luke Dietsch, Austin Nelson and Sam Kauppila. Thomas Lindstrom would tie the game at 3-3 in the 3rd period. In the shootout, Austin would score on their first three shooters to win as Drew Anderson, Scott Nelson and Jay Dickman scored. Boxscore

Wenatchee Wild 3 @ Minot Minotauros 0 – Wenatchee turned the tables on Minot on Saturday night thanks to 24 saves from Chase Perry as he recorded his second shutout of the season as Wenatchee earned a weekend split with a 3-0 win. After a scoreless 1st period, Nicholas Rivera and Jakob Ahlgren scored in the 2nd period to put Wenatchee ahead 2-0 after two periods. Mike Coyne added a 3rd period goal for insurance. Merrick Madsen made 26 saves in the loss. Boxscore

Johnstown Tomahawks 2 @ Michigan Warriors 1 – The Tomahawks fired 45 shots on goal and finally solved Dillon Kelley as they earned a weekend split with the Warriors thanks to a 2-1 win on Saturday night. Cody Lichtenvoort put Michigan ahead 1-0 in the 1st period with a power play goal. Johnstown tied the game at 1-1 in the 2nd period with a shorthanded tally from Shane Bednard. It would be Bednard who would again provide the difference in the 3rd period as he scored again with just over seven minutes to go for the game-winner. Jake Moore made 20 saves in the win. Boxscore

Soo Eagles 4 @ Port Huron Fighting Falcons 3 (SO) – For the second straight game, it would take a shootout for the Eagles and Fighting Falcons to decide things, but this time around it was the Eagles who would come out on top, 4-3. Things were looking good for the Fighting Falcons as they jumped out to a 3-0 lead early in the 2nd period. Mitch Maloney, Austin Romzek and Zach Badalamenti scored. Soo came back with three straight goals in a span of just over five minutes as Scott Cuthrell, Chase Matson and Matt Menta scored. In the shootout, Cuthrell and Trevor Boyd scored the lone goals for the Eagles to secure the win. Boxscore

Wichita Falls Wildcats 2 @ Amarillo Bulls 1 (SO) – David Zevnik was on fire again as he made 33 saves to help the Wildcats to a 2-1 shootout win and a weekend sweep of Amarillo. The Wildcats lead in the South is now at three games, while they also handed the Bulls their seventh straight loss. The Bulls lone goal in regulation came from Roman Ammirato in the 1st period, while Wildcats forward Kyle Bauman added the Wildcats lone regulation goal in the 2nd period. In the shootout, all four Wildcats players scored including Bauman, Rudy Junda, Ben Kucera and Josh Haverstrom. Boxscore

Coulee Region Chill 2 @ Brookings Blizzard 4 – Austin Priebe made 35 saves and four different players scored for Brookings as they earned a weekend home split against the Chill thanks to a 4-2 win on Saturday. Things looked good for the Chill early as they jumped out to a 2-0 lead after one period on goals from Eddie Matsushima and Sean Kalbak. The Blizzard responded with three goals in the 2nd period from Beau Michaud, Elliot Tisdale and Conrad Sampair. Russ Jordan would tack on a 3rd period goal for insurance. Boxscore

Aberdeen Wings 3 @ Bismarck Bobcats 2 – Henry Dill made 31 saves as the Aberdeen Wings salvaged a weekend split with the Bismarck Bobcats thanks to a 3-2 win on Saturday in Bismarck. Jake Horton picked up the game’s first goal and also had an assist on the night. Bismarck took a 2-1 lead early in the 2nd period with goals :29 second apart from Evan Giesler and Dan Kovar. Kyle Haak would tie the game at 2-2 before the period was over. In the 3rd period, Erik Baskin added the game-winner just over five minutes into the period and Dill made the lead stand. Boxscore